Possible spoiler......

I think I made a boo boo on this level. I started killing the priests too soon I think. There are monsters coming at me from all over the place and that High Summoner person keeps making more! I haven't made it to the room with the helpful folks yet (the ones who are really yuan-ti's). Any tips or advice would be helpful.

Minor Spoiler
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There's another party trapped on that level. Free them and they will fight alongside you. You cannot control them however.

SPOILER
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you have to fight them no matter what and you stop the animals from comming by killing the highsummoner!

Hail to all wanders of snowdrifts and dales alike!

My first post here, as I decided to join up after starting IWD again. First time around I didn't have HOW installed, so I'm all jolly and excited about the prospect of fresh quests despite the fact that I found the hackity slash slash emphasis of IWD as compared to Baldur's Gate a bit of a step backward. [img]smile.gif[/img]
However, the ability to create one's own party brings back wonderful memories of the halcyon dayz playing Pool of Radiance and Curse of the Azure Bonds on the mighty Commodore 64. A couple of NPC's wouldn't have gone astray though, doesn't everyone think? Just to give the option at least...

I'm currently wading through wave after wave of Cold Wights and Undead Lieutenants on that dreaded level, Dragon's Eye level 3. I remember it being insanely tedious last time, but this time not quite as bad, as the ol' brain is creating more efficient strategies.

I've got a fairly standard party makeup, a bit different from last time however:
Sir Valarian - Human Paladin
Stubb Axecleaver - Dwarven Fighter
Mist-Vale - Elven Druid (handy anti-undead spells)
Angelique - Half Elven Cleric/Fighter (I don't normally go for dual class, but this is an experiment...)
Murk - Human Thief
Pyron - Human Invoker (Obliteration madness! Had a necromancer last time...)

I'm interested in hearing everyone's strategies for taking out the undead in Dragon's Eye. [img]smile.gif[/img]
Anyhow, I'd best get back to it!
Cheers everyone!
Cerebro Dragon
--+UDIC+--

Thieves are very helpful on the 3rd level of Dragon's Eye. I cannot emphasise enough on how satifying it is to have an invisible( courtesy of a spell or potion, not Stealth) Thief exploring the entire 3rd level to scout for enemy positions and more importantly, disarm traps ahead of the party( it is better to deactivate the AI when you do this).

Once you know the enemy locations, you can position your people according and fight on your own terms, like casting Fireball onto their unsuspecting heads, or contain their movement with summons. If you herd them carefully, you can cast spells like Spike Growth( or is it Stones?) to hurt multiple enemy targets without hitting your own people and/or summons.

Herding enemy targets with summons is one of my all-time favourite tactics on HoF mode, as they can really serve as meat fodder while you deal the real damage with other spells, especially the AoE ones.

HoF = Heart of Fury
AoE = Area of Effect

With the Druid have her cast her spells than cast moonblade and send her in with the fighters. The moonblade weilding druid is awsome for doing damage to undead.

If he/she can hit them. ;) What with their crappy THACO and all. [img]tongue.gif[/img] Unless he/she is a Fighter/Druid or something.

CerebroDragon party:

I was itching to start a new party as well, but I was thinking of a Fighter/Druid to take advantage of some of their fighting spells and having a pure Cleric instead for the buffing. I'm going to come up with cool names for them (I usually cop-out on them). I'll be trying this:

Human Paladin [I usually like the Gnome Fighter due to the "Defender" helm]
Dwarf Fighter
Half-Elf Fighter/Druid
Halfling Cleric
Elf Mage/Thief
Gnome Illusionist

This covers all races and has good fighting and spell power, but makes a sacrifice to missile [hard to beat having a Ranger and Fighter/Thief for missile power--replacing the Fighter/Druid and Mage/Thief respectively]

Thief note: A pure thief should never fight (esp. in HoF), so they make it easy at the start for all you thieving actions due to their quick level-ups.

Since you play on HoF mode.

Instead of a pureclassed Cleric, consider having an Half-Elf Cleric/Ranger. They will have decent THACO, and can melee well( or sling well if you prefer), and eventually get all the level 1-6 Druidic spells as well as all the Clerical ones.

RoboGhost:

I admire your mix of races...I'm interested to hear how the gnomes go, as I've never really given them a fair go in all honesty throughout my voyages in rpghood! [img]tongue.gif[/img]
If I start to struggle too much with my outright druid cleric/fighter combination, I might think about changing it around as you have done...but at this stage (Just completed Dragon's Eye) things are going well, and I'm enjoying so much the added dynamicism that the druidic spells add. I'm particularly keen on sunscorch, alicorn's lance (fall you spawn of undeath!) aswell as Moonblade, which brought back memories of good ol' Xan from Baldur's Gate. (love ya pessimism mate!)
Cheers to Pritchke with the moonblade attacking undead idea - with bless or chant, Mist-Vale became a good distraction for the missile wielders.

For Yxunoemi, my method was very similar at first to how you describe Dundee - swamp the priests with hasted bombardier beetles and cave bears! Ironically enough, I didn't realise that you could cast haste on summoned beings until it happened by accident! The beetles did some awesome damage with their poisonous cloud! I sent the Paladin and Fighter into her midst with Kressalack and Defender spinning arcs of death, and the druid to lance and scorch the priests. My thief went in and out of shadows, trying for some backstabbing action whilst the invoker went to town with his explosions. Took me awhile to iron things out and time everything, but with obsessive pause and allocating, the foul beast fell!

However, I don't know if I'm just old fashioned, (basic D&D and Second ed AD&D) but dual classing just never washed too well with me as a concept. I love the purity of the archetypes, the essential feelings of the classes. Must confess though, I did use a cleric/fighter on Pool of Radiance all those years ago!

Anyhow, back to the fray - Kuldahar awaits, aand my money begs to be spent!
Cheers,
Cerebro Dragon
--+UDIC+--

Thee Gnome:

It's hard to beat the Gnome in two areas of IWD:

Fighter: They can use the magnificent "Helm of the Defender" (something like that) that you buy in Kuldahar. Cast Haste on him/her and you have a sword-wielding helicopter. You could use a Halfling as well, but it would be a pain to start with their 17 STR.

Specialist Mage: They get that 19 INT that nobody else gets! Just make sure you choose another mage-type so you don't have to waste spell books on the other two schools they get burned on.

Oh yea, on Level 4 of Dragon Eye:

Once hostile I close that big door and slam the two mages first. Then I huddle up in the "mage room" and wait for their carnage to begin [Fighters in doorway, priest/missile the middle, and mage/missile to the rear]. Then comes the mage battle in the "red carpet hall" [just pop in and out of the East area and they will come running]. Then kill the High Summoner. It is a free-for-all after that. I like to drag the prisoners (one by one) to their death with an invisible thief for their goodies [this is so I don't have to kill them--hee hee]. This last part can take a long time, but I like to optimize my item pool.

Dundee is right, I also used summons a lot as they are indeed great cannonfodder, espescially the shambling mound in HoF mode

I use the same tactic as you! :D I cram the whole party in that room, then use my Thief to lockpick the library door which makes them hostile, but I rush my Thief into the room, grab the stuff that is in there and quickly pass it around while my Paladin hold the fort at the door as my Cleric/Ranger deal with the two Mages that are already inside.

With my Paladin blocking the door along with some summons, I cast multiple Spike Growths and what such outside which kills the Trolls and Yuan-Tis conjested at the door.

:D

After the carnage, I quickly go to the imprisoned party and gang up with them to kick booty on the rest of the monsters until I finally meet the High Summoner. The High Summoner may have his summons, but so do I. [img]smile.gif[/img]